….advocating for social justice and development

About Laz Ude Eze

A public health physician, health systems consultant and an advocate for good governance, health equity and social justice. Authored the book, "A Companion to Practical Pathology" and founded HAPPYNigeria in 2006. I'm also a Brand Ambassador of Social Good Nigeria. To read my full profile, copy and paste this link on your URL and check it out >> http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35254652&trk=tab_pro
Your feedback on all posts are welcome. Follow me on twitter - @donlaz4u.

The people of Okposi Community, Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State appear to be taking all the right steps in response to the unfortunate and questionable death of two JSS 3 students of Federal Government College, Okposi (FGCO) – Tochukwu Eneh and Chukwuemeka Ugwu.

On Friday May 27, 2016, a delegation of Okposi e-8, an association of elites of Okposi community, paid a solidarity visit to the Directorate of Basic and Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja. The delegation, which was led by the association’s chairman who is also the Chairman of the Community Based School Management Committee of FGCO, Barr. Emenike Okorie, was received by the Director, Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Anne Buchi Okonkwo.

The delegation said it was in the Ministry to express solidarity with the education authorities over the sad incident. The Okposi e-8 representatives expressed the willingness of their association and community, to cooperate with both the Ministry and security agencies towards unravelling the cause of death, noting that Okposi community has never witnessed such bizarre occurrence or ever been associated with violence of any kind. They explained that Okposi community which is known rather for its hospitality and respect for visitors has already gone ahead to activate its traditional way of dealing with issues of this nature.

The delegation also urged the Ministry to immediately strengthen the school management in order to forestall and nip in the bud acts of indiscipline that might lead to similar incidents in future.

Responding, the Director, Mrs. Okonkwo, thanked the delegation for the timely visit saying that the visit has served to dispel the anxiety of the Ministry over the safety of lives of both students and staff of the school. She further promised to forward a report of the visit to the Permanent Secretary for onward transmission to the Honourable Minister.

Earlier, the group had issued a statement urging a thorough investigation to identify the cause of death and ensure justice is done. Similarly, the Okposi Education Initiative urged continued cooperation of members of the community with the investigators and pledged to work with other stakeholders to prevent recurrence. In accordance with its tradition, the community has also placed curses on any person connected in the death of the students.

Okposi Education Initiative has expressed shock and sadness over the mysterious death of two students of Federal Government College Okposi, Ebonyi State. According to media reports, the students were reported missing earlier in the month and their dead bodies were found recently at a bamboo grove in a river near the school.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Laz Ude Eze, the group demanded full investigation to uncover the cause of death of the two students. He commended the community for their proactive response to the tragic incident. According to him, “We are extremely pained by this tragedy because nothing like this has ever occurred in Okposi. Ndi Okposi rose unanimously to express sadness when the students were declared missing and were involved in intensive search until their bodies were discovered. The community considers the ugly development as an abomination; consequently, all commercial activities were suspended, the people gathered at the market square and placed curses on any person connected to the death of the students. Okposi elites resident in Abuja have also responded likewise. Our people are very united in mourning these children and praying for their families”.

The group pledged to work with the school, community leaders and government authorities to prevent recurrence of such evil in Okposi community in future. It also called on Ebonyi State government to intervene and end recruitment of students into cultism as has been observed in some parts of the state.

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#Choice4Life Advocates commenced the #16DaysofActivism against Gender-Based Violence with a 4-hour tweetathon on November 25, 2015. The 72-member group consists of innovative young professionals who use social media to promote women sexual and reproductive health and rights. “We believe that we can all achieve a bright future without this violence. We will not keep quiet until it ends” – vowed the advocates.

Below are top 16 tweets the group wants you to share in your networks;

Violence Against Women is one of the most pervasive human rights violations around the world. #Choice4Life #EndVAW #VAPPAct #16Days

Whether domestic, physical or sexual, violence against women is still as damaging. #Choice4Life #EndVAW #VAPPAct #16Days

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#Choice4Life Advocates are young Nigerian professionals who promote Women Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights using Social Media. The Group conducted a tweetathon on November 25, 2015 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. They are also committed to educating social media users on issues that promote women’s health during the #16DaysofActivism.

They called for the domestication of the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (#VAPPAct) by all the 36 States of Nigeria.

Some of their tweets include;

No excuse no matter how legally crafted should permit violence against women. Please, understand your rights.#Choice4Life#EndVAW#VAPPAct

I am writing today to urge all our leaders to deliver a statement or a public address for the record, recognizing October 29th as World Stroke Day. World Stroke Day is celebrated yearly all over the world to heighten awareness about stroke and reduce its impact as a major killer in many communities. Nigeria is no exception. Taking a minute to educate Nigerians about the causes and symptoms of stroke will help raise awareness of this life-threatening disease and help reduce the number of strokes.

Dr Biodun Ogungbo

For your information

A stroke is a “brain attack” and can happen to anyone at any time. It occurs when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain such as memory and muscle power are lost. It is a leading cause of long-term disability and death. Each year, more than 160, 000 Nigerians die from stroke though we do not know the actual number. This is more than Malaria and HIV combined anyway. However, stroke is not truly recognized as a killer and given the due dishonourable credit it deserves. Many of the deaths and disability is often ascribed to Malaria and witch craft.

For survivors and their families, the long-term costs, both financial and in terms of quality of life, are often overwhelming. Over two-thirds of survivors must live with chronic conditions, such as paralysis and reduced physical activity, speech problems, and the ability to understand speech. These conditions can impact an individual’s ability to return to work, return to school, and become a functioning member of society once again.

Please say it in your language

World Stroke Day is a time to raise awareness for the devastating impact, causes, and symptoms of stroke. As our leader, you must ensure Nigerians understand that stroke is treatable and preventable, as long as citizens arm themselves with the proper diagnostic tools and health information. Common stroke symptoms include: sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion; trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble walking or seeing; loss of balance; and sudden, severe headache. The ability to recognize these symptoms and seek medical attention immediately is critical to surviving a stroke and minimizing long-term disability.

Stroke affects people of all ages, but several underlying factors that put individuals at higher risk include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, obesity, tobacco use and physical inactivity. Understanding the risks involved with certain lifestyle choices and making healthier choices can often help reduce a person’s risk of stroke. Everyone must know the root causes of stroke such as high blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure or hypertension is the biggest underlying cause of stroke in Nigeria. Many people do not know they have high blood pressure because they have not checked. We need to change this. Others who have been diagnosed stop taking medications for various reasons. Some because their pastor said they were cured at the last retreat!

The government recently inaugurated a special group, the Nigeria Stroke Reference Group (NSRG). The NSRG is mandated to help deliver a strategic plan and direction for stroke care in Nigeria. It will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to deliver a stroke registry for Nigeria, educate healthcare practitioners and conduct serious advocacy for Nigerians to mitigate the effects of stroke.

There are a few pertinent things for Nigeria. We need to develop an emergency telephone number for Nigeria and a coordinated ambulance service as well. You see, to treat stroke effectively, the stroke victim should be able to call an emergency response number and be transported to a dedicated stroke centre within minutes, for clot bursting drugs to be administered. At the stroke centre, a brain scan is mandatory and must be performed immediately to see what type of stroke the person has suffered. Then, if suitable and within the recognised time window of about 3 to 4 hours, clot bursting drugs can be given to reopen the pipes that are blocked in the brain. In some situations, this leads to immediate recovery from the stroke.

The clot bursting drugs such as Alteplase, Streptokinase and Urokinase are not readily available. Where they are available, they are too expensive for the common man to buy. For the rich who have money to fly out of the country, Europe, America and India are too far to go for a drug that must be administered within 3 hours. In effect, developing a local solution to cater for everyone favours both the rich and the poor.

Many nations are concentrating on the advocacy and effective treatment in stroke centres. We know that treatment in a stroke centre reduces the disability and death significantly. Therefore establishing such centres in Nigeria is the way forward. So, stroke centres need to be developed to provide effective emergency management of stroke victims. Some centres exist in Benin and Abeokuta but they need serious financial support to deliver quality of care.

The government through the FMOH must find ways to effectively support stroke survivors and their families through the advancement of new treatments. By raising awareness, we can minimize the rates of disability and mortality resulting from stroke.

Therefore, please join us in recognizing October 29th as World Stroke Day in order to continue to educate Nigerians about stroke symptoms, prevention, and treatment. If you could, please pop into Transcorp Hilton on the day and be part of our success story this year. To sponsor or attend the events, please call Florence on 08189999902. Join us to fight stroke.